Method for tracking timber

1. A method for tracking timber incorporating the use of a mounted memory device, a first hand-held memory device, and a second hand-held memory device, said method comprising the following steps: a. identifying a tract of timber to be harvested; b. creating a first set of data related to said tract of timber; c. copying the first set of data to the first hand-held memory device; d. adding supplemental data to the first hand-held memory device for the creation thereby of a second set of data for storage in the first hand-held memory device, said second set of data containing said first set of data and said supplemental data, and wherein creating the second set of data includes creating a second set of data having fields for identifying the person responsible for cutting the timber and for loading it onto the vehicle; e. providing the first hand held device to a person; f. cutting the tract of timber; g. loading the cut timber onto a vehicle, said vehicle having attached to it said mounted memory device; h. copying said second set of data from the first hand-held memory device to the mounted memory device by touching the first hand-held memory device to the mounted memory device; i. transporting the vehicle to a destination; j. copying the second set of data from the mounted memory device to the second hand-held memory device by touching the second hand-held memory device to the mounted memory device; k. adding supplemental data to the second hand-held memory device for the creation thereby of a third set of data for storage in the second hand-held memory device; and l. transforming a third set of data from the second hand-held memory device to the mounted memory device by touching the second hand-held memory device to the mounted memory device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the first set of data includes creating a first set of data having fields for identifying the tract of timber, the owner of the timber, and the details of a particular contract authorizing the cutting of timber on the tract.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the third set of data includes creating a third set of data having fields for identifying the particular destination chosen, the time and date of arrival of the vehicle at the destination, the weight of the timber arriving at the destination, and the type of timber arriving.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein copying the first set of data to the first hand-held memory device comprises copying the first set of data to a computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein copying the second set of data to the second hand-held memory device comprises copying the second set of data to a computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein copying the second set of data to the mountable memory device comprises copying the second set of data to a reprogrammable, RAM memory.

7. A method of tracking timber comprising the steps of: (a) creating a job record; (b) populating the job record wherein populating the job record comprises populating a job record having fields for a contract number, a timber owner identifier, a forester identifier, a tract number, a logger identifier, and at least one logging crew identifier; (c) selecting at least one logging crew to harvest the timber; (d) providing a separate loader wand to each selected logging crew; (e) transferring the job record to each separate loader wand; (f) harvesting the timber; (g) providing a trailer equipped with a random access memory (RAM) device; (h) loading the trailer with timber; (i) transferring the job record from the loader wand to the RAM device by touching the loader wand to the RAM device; (j) generating a departure time and date stamp; (k) transferring the departure time and date stamp to the RAM device; (l) towing the trailer to a scale house; (m) providing a scale house wand; (n) transferring the job record and the departure time and date stamp from the RAM device to the scale house wand by touching the scale house wand to the RAM device; (o) generating an arrival time and date stamp; (p) transferring the job record, the departure time and date stamp, and the arrival time and date stamp to a scale house computer; (q) identifying the type of wood loaded upon the trailer; (r) creating a mill record; (s) populating the mill record; (t) transferring the mill record to the RAM device; (u) unloading the trailer; (v) returning the tailer to the timber tract; (w) transferring the mill record from the RAM device to the loader wand by touching the loader wand to the RAM device; (x) repeating steps (h) through (w) for each round trip made by the trailer from the timber tract to the mill and back to the timber tract; (y) collecting each of the separate loader wands from each of the crew chiefs; (z) transferring the job records and mill records from each loader wand to a central computer; and (aa) compiling a report on the central computer based on the job records and mill records.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein creating a job record comprises creating a job record having fields for a contract number, a timber owner identifier, a forester identifier, a tract number, a logger identifier, at least one crew identifier, and a departure time-and-date stamp.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein creating a mill record comprises creating a mill record having fields for a scale house identifier, a contract number, a timber owner identifier, a wood type, a net wood weight, and an arrival time and date stamp.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein populating the mill record comprises populating a mill record having fields for a scale house identifier, a contract number, a timber owner identifier, a wood type, a net wood weight, and an arrival time and date stamp.

11. A method of tracking timber comprising the steps of: (a) creating a job record containing fields for a contract number, a timber owner identifier, a forester identifier, a tract number, a logger identifier, at least one crew identifier, and a time and date stamp; (b) populating the contract number, timber owner identifier, forester identifier, tract number, logger identifier, and logging crew identifier fields of the job record; (c) providing a separate loader wand to the chief of each selected logging crew; (d) transferring the job record to each separate loader wand; (e) harvesting the timber; (f) providing a frailer quipped with a random access memory device; (g) loading the trailer with timber; (h) transferring the job record from the loader wand to the RAM device by touching the loader wand to the RAM device; (i) generating a departure time and date stamp; (j) transferring the departure time and date stamp to the RAM device; (k) towing the trailer to a scale house; (l) providing a scale house wand; (m) transferring the job record and the departure time and date stamp from the RAM device to the scale house wand by touching the scale house wand to the RAM device; (n) generating an arrival time and date stamp; (o) transferring the job record, the departure time and date stamp, and the arrival time and date stamp to a scale house computer; (p) identifying the type of wood loaded upon the trailer; (q) creating a mill record having fields for a scale house identifier, a contract number, a timber owner identifier, a wood type, and an arrival time and date stamp; (r) populating the mill record with the scale house identifier, the contract number, the timber owner identifier, the wood type, and the arrival time and date stamp; (s) transferring the mill record to the scale house wand; (t) transferring the mill record from the scale house wand to the RAM device by touching the scale house wand to the RAM device; (u) unloading the trailer; (v) retiring the trailer to the timber tract; (w) transferring the mill record from the RAM device to the loader wand; (x) :repeating steps (g) through (w) for each round trip made by the trailer from the timber tract to the mill and back to the timber fact; (y) collecting each of the separate loader wands from each of the crew chiefs; (z) transferring the job records and mill records from each loader wand to a central computer; and (aa) compiling a report on the central computer based on the job records and mill records.